CHAPTER TWO
 

Pt 5

MYRNA THE MERMAID utilizes a girl-in-a-fishbowl illusion that is older than the sea iteelf!

Abbott's Magic Co. sells one ready-made.


Jeff and Sue Murray's early attempt at grinding. IIONELLA -
THE LION-FACED GIRL!

Up in Tahoe Paradise, California a Grind Show enthusiast named Doug Higley has attempted to create the "World's Smallest Side Show" (now there's a twist).

The show, which seems to change its theme every other month, is housed in a six by eight foot open trailer which tows behind his car.

Over the last year or so Higley has exhibited a Bigfoot Museum, a Myth and Mystery show, an Amazon Pygmy Mummy show, and most recently, a Sea Monster show (the creature for which he baked in his kitchen oven).

He pursues this as a hobby and has had some success.

THE MUSEUM SHOW

The museum format show has always been an old standby in the Grind Show business. It offers the public a variety of (oft times seemingly unrelated) exhibits that have a weirdness or strangeness in common.

Today, in lieu of live freak shows, there have sprung up numerous freak "museums" in which photos and mannequins representing the more famous freaks are exhibited. These sometimes generate beefs in that the public might not be aware of the museum nature of the show and are disappointed when no live or real freaks or oddities are presented. Capt. Boswell's Palace of Wonders is one such show.

Jeff Murray operates a Mystery Museum Show that features a variety of interesting items such as pickled freak animals, taxidermied freaks (such as a gaffed two-headed squirrel), shrunken heads and some things too strange to be defined (even Murray himself doesn't know what's inside some of those jars!).

Jeff Murray s MYSTERY MUSEUM SHOW

 

Chapter 2 to be continued